


Here's to Second Chances

by helsinkibaby



Category: The Last Ship (TV)
Genre: F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Future Fic, Gen, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 12:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2622062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the world is saved, Mike catches up with his dad.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Here's to Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> For the comment fic prompt "She's so far out of my league we're not even playing the same sport. But she's lovely."

The world may have changed while the Nathan James was sailing the Arctic seas but Mike finds it comforting that some things haven't. Mainly that his father somehow managed to survive, that the family farm is still there and most importantly, the family still is still there. 

It took a long time for him to come home here but when he sits on the front porch, Pop by his side, a Dixie cup of moonshine in his hand, he knows it was worth the wait. 

Pop catches him up on all the local news he missed, which mostly amounts to who lived and who died. Same goes for the family news and they both well up when the talk turns to Mike's son. "Hell of a thing," his dad says, "that an old dog like me makes it through and a baby like that doesn't get a chance."

They don't mention Mike's wife, soon to be ex, both knowing the marriage had been far from perfect even before the disease taking their boy and his absence during it put the final nail in the coffin. Mike is surprised, though, when his dad, three cups in and that shit is strong,  turns to him and says, "So... tell me about your new girl."

Mike doesn't ask how he knew; Pop had always had a sixth sense for things like that. "She's something, Pop," he says. "She's a scientist..."

"I've seen the news, boy." His dad's tone is somewhere between amused and impatient. "Tell me about her."

He thinks about all the times he saw her on the Nathan James, before and after they became them, thinks about her tenacity in the struggle for the vaccine, her bravery in going over to the Russian ship, the set of her jaw as she battled to save the world. 

"She's smart as a whip... stubborn as Mama ever was. Won't take second best and she ain't shy 'bout letting you know it either. Knows what's right... knows how she's going to get it." He takes a sip of his drink, shakes his head as he pictures her out of the lab, hair loose, lips and eyes smiling. "She's not so hard to look at either."

Pop gives him a hard look, eyebrow raised and this look is all amusement.  "Sounds like you're punching above your weight there."

Mike doesn't deny it. "Hell, Pop, she's so far out of my league that we're not even playing the same sport. But she's lovely." He hears the word from the lips, snorts with sudden laughter. "She must be some sort of somethin', making a good ol' boy use a word like lovely and mean it." He downs another sip. "Either that or this is really good stuff."

"Maybe both." Pop holds up his drink in salute. "Here's to second chances, son... and to taking them when we get them."

Mike doesn't hesitate. "I'll drink to that."


End file.
